Diploma Supplement (in English) is given automatically and free of charge to every student upon graduation.
What is Diploma Supplement (DS)?
The Diploma Supplement follows the model developed by the European Commision, Council of Europe and UNESCO / CEPES is a document attached to a higher education diploma providing a standardised description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that were pursued and successfully completed by the individual named on the original qualification to which this diploma supplement is appended.
The purpose of the supplement is to provide sufficient independent data to improve the international transparency and fair academic and professional recognition of qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates, etc.). It should be free from any value judgements, equivalence statements or suggestions about recognition. Information in all eight sections should be provided. The Supplement is only valid together with the actual diploma.
The DS is composed of eight sections, which are namely: information identifying the holder of the qualification, information identifying the qualification, information on the level of the qualification, information on the contents and results gained, information on the function of the qualification, additional information, certification of the Supplement, information on the national higher education system. All these sections should be provided by the DS and if not, an explanation should be given. A description of the national higher education system within, which the individual named on the original qualification graduated has to be attached to the DS.
At Mugla Sıtkı Koçman University, the Diploma Supplement follows the model developed by the European Commision, Council of Europe and UNESCO / CEPES is being issued in English, given automatically and free of charge to every students upon graduation. The Diploma Supplement is only valid together with the actual diploma.
For students, the Diploma Supplement offers:
A diploma that is more readable and easily comparable abroad;
A precise description of their academic career and the competencies acquired during the study period;
An objective description of their achievements and competencies;
Easier access to opportunities of work or further studies abroad; and
It fosters their employability.
For higher education institutions, the benefits are:
It facilitates academic and professional recognition, thus increasing the transparency of qualifications;
It protects national/institutional autonomy while offering a common frame which is accepted all over Europe;
It promotes informed judgements about qualifications that can be understood in another educational context;
It raises the visibility of the institution abroad;
It promotes the employability of their graduates at national and international level;
It helps to save time since it provides the answers to a lot of recurrent questions put to administrative services in institutions about the content and portability of diplomas.
Please see the links below for further information:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/rec_qual/recognition/diploma_en.html
http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/ds/ds_en.pdf
A Diploma Supplement Example issued by Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University